Review: Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection “Four Wood”
Review: Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection “Four Wood”
Every year Woodford Reserve launches a limited edition (and quite expensive) whiskey that shows off the creativity of its master distiller, Chris Morris. This is Woodford’s seventh iteration of the Master’s Collection.
As the name implies, Four Wood is a Bourbon with a unique finishing program. Standard Bourbon, finished in newly charred American oak, is finished in one of three different types of barrels: maple, Sherry wood, and Port wood. (Woodford has experimented with maple in a past Master’s Collection.) The three barrel-finished whiskeys are batched together — the ratio is undisclosed, as are the ages of these whiskeys — and bottled as Four Wood.
The nose offers that big wood rush that’s classic Woodford, lots of lumberyard character that masks what you’re about to get into. On the tongue, it’s woody as expected, but surprisingly sweet. Chocolate notes are prevalent, plus lots of fresh red/black fruit — the Port finish overpowers everything with black cherry and raisin notes. Sip this whiskey long enough and orange elements, driven by the sherry finish, come along as well. That’s a good thing, but it does give Four Wood a bit of a fruit salad feeling, with a whole lot going on in the fruit department and not enough spice to back it up. Not bad, but there’s a bit of an embarrassment of riches in the sweetness department here.
94.4 proof.
A- / $100 / woodfordreserve.com
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection "Four Wood"
$100
